Spring structure for cushioned seats



March 11, 1941. T BURKE 2,234,230

SPRING STRUCTURE FOR CUSHIONED SEATS Filed April 20, 1938 Jef I g l5 a 5 7 i 1|; F'IE 1.

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Mmmm Harme- ATTO EY.

Patented Mai. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES SPRING STRUCTURE FOB CUSHIONED SEATS Theodore Burke, Cleveland, Ohio, assigner, by

direct and meme assignments, to John C. Lincoln, Scottdale, Ark.

Application April 20, 1938, Serial No. 203,058

3 Claims.

an improved spring structure which is simplified in construction, relatively economical to manufacture, and durable in use.

A further object of the invention is lto provide means for facilitating and simplifying a pivotal yielding connection between the flexible suspensory support of the spring structure and the supporting frame.

In addition the invention has certain other marked superiorities which radicaly distinguish it from present known structures. These improvements or superior characteristics embodying certain novel features of construction are clearly set forth in the following specication and the appended claims; and a preferred form of the invention is hereinafter shown with reference to the accompanying drawing forming part of the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan View showing one form of spring structure made in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section, partly in elevation, taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective sectional viev through the spring structure showing the att ichment of the flexible suspensory support to the side rail of the supporting frame.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective sectional view similar to Fig. 3 showing a somewhat different connection of the flexible suspensory support to the side rails. l

v Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section of a spring structure showing a somewhat different connection of the rear end of the flexible suspensory support to the rear rail; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the yielding supporting hook used in Figs. 1-2 for connecting the rear end of the flexible suspensory support to the rear rail.

In manufacturing upholstered furniture, es-

pecially chairs and davenport couches, it is customary to tack webbing to the bottom face or within the frame and to build up a spring structure thereon so as to provide a resilient seat which includes padding or upholstering. In constructions of this type the webbing stretches 6 substantially and thenfeects changing of the yielding and springing properties of the present spiral coils of a piece of furniture thus constructed, so that the life of constructions of this type is limited. Such deficiencies have been 10 partly overcome by the provision of a flexible suspensory support yieldingly suspended within an open rectangular frame, which support is utilized to mount the spiral supporting coils of the structure. However, the latter arrangement .l5 is rather expensive in construction and assembly, as it necessitates mounting of the flexible support in a. special frame structure which in turn is yieldingly secured to the open frame.

'Ihe present improvement is a departure from' 20 these old practices in that the flexible suspensory support. preferably a piece of woven material 2 of'trapezoidal outline, has its front and side edges 3 and l respectively directly nailed or otherwise secured to an open frame 5 of sub- 25 lstantiall'y rectangular shape in such a manner as to permit of the woven material being permitted to sag under load differentially downwardly from the front to the rear. The rear edge 6 of the woven material is yieldingly sup- 30 ported by a specific yielding bracket 1 which is directly attached or secured to the rear rail 8 of the frame 5. The edge 3 of the woven material is secured by means of tacks 9 to the bottom face of the front rail I0 and side edges 4 and 4' 35 of the woven material 2 are attached on lines Il to the inner faces of the side rails I2.. The trapezoidal outline of the material when tacked to the frame produces a suspensory member embodying a seating surface I4 and having flanges 60 I5 at the sides of said surface. The rear edge of the woven material is preferably reenf'ced by a straight edge wire I6 enclosed in said member as customary and is yieldingly attached to suspension member or bracket 1, hooked upon 5 and secured to the rear rail 8 of frame I, as will behereinafter described. This suspension member, which is made of steel spring wire so as to possess the desired yielding action, embodies a central coil I8, the ends oi' which extend 5 forwardly and rearwardly and format the front end a hook-shaped extension I9 and at the rear end a substantially rectangularly shaped hook portion 20. Extension I9 of bracket 1 extends substantially in alignment with the bottom of coil Il and has its end 2l pointed and its hook curved so as to permit of said end 2| being readily entered into the rear `edge -6 of the woven material 2 for pivotal engagement with the edgewire il thereof. Hook portion 2l is shaped to nt the width of 'th rear rail l of the frame and can readily be hooked upon said rail luntil the horizontal portion 22 of the hook portion engages the top of said rail. A staple 23 is used i'or securing the bracket to the. saidrail.v

. The thus mounted suspensory support vory woven material 2 mounts a plurality of coil g springs Il, secured to said support in any comf' mon manner, which spring'swhen properly' set are tied to each other and to the rails of the frame by means of cord 2i, all ,as commonly practiced. When assembled. the suspensory supportv of the. springA structure is yieldingly forced vup-1- wardly bythe yielding action of the yieldingv brackets or suspension members 'I and underV load; the suspensory support can readily "yield a-substantial distance without excessive stress tothe side edges of said` support, which side edgesV` are secured to the inner faces of the side rails.A n w It is obvious that the side edges lof the `trape` zoidally shapedA woven material 2 may also be directly attached to the bottom faces of the side rails I2. A construction of this'type, which is shown in Fig. 4, will act similarly to the one Y previously described. 3

Should it be desirable to increase the yielding action of th'esuspension members .or brackets l,

then the coil Il of said members can either be i enlarged or the number of its coils can be in`v creased or a' shorty tension spring can be used :for -connectingetlge wire I6 with. the hookshaped extension II. -In the ylatterl case the lengthofextension i! isy preferably decreased to obtain space for a longer tension spring. A suspension member or bracket of` this'type is f t assenso x shown in 5. In; this case the front extension Il ,of the sitpension `member, Il' is very short so as to perm Lof a helical or tension spring 25' of sufficient length being used for pivotally con'- necting edge wire II of the woven. material! with 'the said suspension'memberwhich is sev cured to the'rearrail of the' trame in the manner s previously described.

Having thus described my invention, what I 1. A spring structure for upholstered furniture'comprising an open substantially rectangu-v larlyfshaped frame.- a flexible suspensory means of trapezoidal 4form rigidly secured at its front and side edges to the front and side rails of v said frame, and yielding bracket means pivotally lengaged with the rear edge of said suspensory means, said bracket means including a hookshaped end adaptedtobe readily slipped upon the rear railv of said `frame for engagement therewith.

2. As an article of manufacture and sale for A.

use in upholstered furniture a Ahook-.sl'iaped, yielding bracket embodying a yielding portion, a hook portion extending forwardly off said yielding portion, and a second hookA portion extending rearwardly of said5 yielding portion, said latter hook portion being of substantially`- I U-shaped form for engagementwith and inter-,

locking with the rail of a furniture frame.

3. As an article of manufacture andy sale for use in upholstered furniture a hook-shaped, 

